Dark Passion
by RandomDarknessPsycho
Summary: Valkyrie Cain thought that Argeddion had sealed away Darquesse forever, that she wasn't going to destroy the world, and kill everyone. Well, that's about to change...
1. Chapter 1

Valkyrie Cain had not seen Skulduggery Pleasant in a week or so. It kind of mattered. Her parents, with Alice in the tow, had decided to go to Gordon's villa in France.

She-_her reflection_, rather- had been sent to Beryl's. Again. Oh, well…She had plenty of time to be _normal_, a mortal. Even if that meant avoiding Beryl at all costs. It was normal enough, she guessed.

She stood in her bedroom, phone pressed to her ear, "Skulduggery?"

"Hello…" His voice was disorientated, blasts of static breaking through.

"Where the hell have you been?! I've been dying of boredom here!"

"I was having a pleasant day with Ghastly, then you called, so I answered," he said, "Want me to send you some muffins? Fletcher and Myra came round."

"I hate you. You didn't even TELL me you had muffins."

"I told you two minutes ago."

"I hate you," she repeated, glowering at no one in particular. She heard him laugh, then hang up, and she growled. Damn, was she the only one doing _nothing_?! Alone?! Valkyrie changed into a T-shirt and jeans, darted downstairs, out the front door.

A perfectly normal day… She reached the park, slowing to a walk. No one was in sight, save for a few joggers. One of them approached her. Female. Tank top and denim shorts. Long, luscious hair. "Hello, Stephanie," the jogger pronounced each word clearly, as if Valkyrie was an idiot, in a Russian accent.

"Do I know you?"

"I'm Midnight Tsunami. I'm new here."

"How do you know my name?!"

Midnight gave her a strange look, "I met you yesterday. At the pier?"

Oh. Her reflection. She put on a smile, "Sorry…I have a bad memory, that's all…"

"It's okay," Midnight winked, "See you around, Steph!"

Valkyrie walked away first. Midnight. Was she a sorcerer? Probably, yet maybe just a girl with a weird name. Something had stirred when she spoke, something deep in Valkyrie's chest. She just couldn't place it.

~Thirty Minutes Later~

Valkyrie woke up in a white room. Pure white. One barred steel door. She splayed her hand, and a rush of air slammed into the door. No effect. She sighed, "I fell asleep on the park bench. This is obviously a dream."

"Is it?" A man wearing a cloak appeared in front of her. The hood obscured his face. "A dream of yours can be a reality of someone else."

"Who are you?" She felt too clam. It was unnerving really.

"I am who I am."

"Seriously?" Valkyire summoned a flame, thought better of it, then extinguished it.

"Circe Bloodtears." The man raised his hood, and she saw his eyes- grey and lifeless- glowing like orbs. It scared her, kind of. Not that she'd admit it.

Valkyrie glanced at the door. It was _her_ dream, right? So _she_ controlled it. The door slammed open, and she ran for it. Bloodtears's laughter followed her as she sped down the confusing maze of corridors, "You can run, but you can't hide."

Doors lined the corridors. Each banged open. Things surged out. Hairy, enormous spiders. Remnants. Waves of shadows. Skulls. Even _muffins_. And she ran on. Until she reached a dead end.

She turned, but a solid wall was there, a wall that sprouted out of the ground, trapping her. It was _her_ dream. Nothing happened. The wall didn't shatter. The trap door at her feet didn't appeaer.

Circe Bloodtears sat on the wall, chuckling, "Look who's here."

He tapped the wall. She looked. Faces. People she knew. Ghastly, Ravel, Madame Mist, Tanith, Fletcher , China, Wreath, Skulduggery. Dead and alive in reality, squished together in a grotesque collage.

She threw up. Vomit splattered the wall. "You…You sick, twisted psychopath!" she screamed, vision blurred. Oh God, tears. WHY?! It was a dream. A nightmare. She'd wake up soon enough. Bloodtears was suddenly gripping a staff, pointing it at her. "My gift to you," he whispered, "Be thankful…"

A stream of energy burst from the tip of the staff and hit her squarely on the chest. Warmth flooded her, something clicked and Valkyrie Cain woke up on the park bench, gasping.

It was noon. Her stomach rumbled. Sweat coated her face. The park was empty as she left, walking slowly. She called Skulduggery, but he didn't pick up, so she called her reflection, "Everything okay at Beryl's?"

"Yes. We had takeaway pizza."

"Okay, bye." She hung up, put her phone in her pocket, and wondered if she had enough to grab a bag of chips.

Midnight Tsunami called her client. He was a hell of a guy, connected to the American Sanctuary, with the big bucks and flashy Ferrari. "Why do we need the girl?" she demanded to know, "You only want me to remove whatever that Argeddion guy put there, but I _need_ to know, мой ангел!"

"I'd have to kill you, Miss Tsunami."

"Tell me or the deal is off. Please, please."

"We need Valkyrie Cain. We need her to summon Darquesse," came the silky reply.

Midnight felt the air leave her lungs, "You plan to harness her, use her for your own work?! You're insane, a total псих!"

"Who isn't?" The phone line went dead, and Midnight wondered if she had gotten more than she bargained for.

Valkyrie trudged home, feeling like a _normal _teenager living her normal life. She'd spent the day wandering around Haggard, enjoying the sun. it felt too good to be true.

Something hit her on the back. She turned to pick it up. A stone. Yet it was dark, the streets empty. Probably a rat or something equally gross. Something grabbed her throat, squeezing. Instincts kicked into gear as she smashed her head against her attacker, hearing the crunch of a broken nose.

She slipped out of the grip when it loosened, turning to face Midnight, dressed in black, blood flowing from her nose, cursing in Russian. She splayed her hand, but Midnight dodged, eyes darting to and fro, "You have to do better than that, my little angel."

"Excuse me? Little angel?" Valkyrie ducked as Midnight executed a flurry of punches that all missed, except for the one which threw her off her feet.

She landed on her back, tried to swipe Midnight's feet from out under her, but failed. "Yes, мой маленький ангел. It's sarcasm." Valkyrie splayed her hand, knocking the older woman off her feet with a rush of air, and scrambled up, whipping shadows at her. "Who sent you?!" she snarled, pinning Midnight down with shadows.

"Not telling, мой маленький ангел." The older woman laughed, blood pouring from her nose, the cuts on her body. Light pulsated from her body, slicing through Valkyrie's shadows, twin bursts of acid green light enveloping her, and Valkyrie blinked.

Midnight had vanished.

~Ten Minutes Later~

She'd called Skulduggery, filled him in on everything, and now he was sitting on her window sill, thinking, "A Russian sorcerer assassin?"

"What if she goes after my reflection? In front of my family?" Valkyrie asked.

"She'll know…Sorcerers can spot reflections a mile off."

"Can we beat the crap out of her?"

"If we can find her, sure."

She paused, "What do you think about Circe Bloodtears?"

Skulduggery shrugged, "An Adept. He and Midnight must be Adepts. He's a Dream Twister."

"Really? This isn't a term you made up to keep me happy?"

"Nope. It's a rare power. He's the last one around, I think. They can enter people's dreams and twist them," he explained.

"Can Dream Twister's hurt me in dreams?"

"Yeah…" he shrugged, "If it makes you feel better, you can beat the crap out of _him_ ."

"Yay."

He was waiting for her, standing by his Ferrari, leering, "Miss Tsunami. Did you and Mr Bloodtears manage it?"

"Yes, my angel. Two days until Darquesse is loosed, tops," she replied, "It better be worth it." She felt her ribs scrape together and winced. His leer became a grin, oozing with easy charm, "Hell, it'll be _more_ than worth it."

"My angel?" she asked, tilting her head, "What will happen after Darquesse is unleashed?"

"You and Mr Bloodtears shall be paid. I go about Phase Two of my plan."

"I don't even know your name, моя любовь."

"Maybe you will. One day." His eyes held a glimmer of amusement. Midnight longed to see another expression instead of that. "Goodbye, Miss Tsunami," he said, getting into his Ferrari.

The car sped off, dust in it's wake."Goodbye, my angel," she sighed, then cursed. She would have to kill him. On Bloodtears order. But if she killed Bloodtears, she would be free.


	2. Chapter 2

~ Two Days Later~

Valkyrie Cain woke up from a dreamless sleep, feeling like she was about to puke. A lovely Saturday morning feeling. She took a deep breath, and went downstairs, outside.

Haggard was in the midst of a storm. It was a refreshing thing to know it was always raining in Dublin. And the tranquillity could be destroyed all too easily. All she had to do was start throwing fireballs, smashing things with shadows, and scream all the secrets about the magical world.

Heh... That would be fun. Maybe in a couple of centuries, though. She fingered her phone in her jeans pocket, then realized everyone would be busy. Valkyrie saw the Bentley pull up in front of the house, and slid into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" she asked Skulduggery, "I'm not even wearing my jacket."

"Here. Ghastly kept a spare," he said, handing her a jacket from the back seat. It looked like hers, felt like hers when she put it on and zipped it up. "Thanks."

"We're going to Roarhaven." Skulduggery's tone made it plainly obvious that something big was happening. "There's been... Something's going on. Apparently, the Administrator abruptly vanished. Everyone's searching for him. If he confesses the secrets of the Sanctuary to anyone, we are all dead meat."

"Oh..." Valkyrie frowned, "You think Midnight's behind this?"

"Who else?"

The whole of Roarhaven was being combed over by Sanctuary agents and Cleavers. A pair of Cleavers escorted them over to where the Elders were standing. Madame Mist blinked, "Detectives Pleasant and Cain. Have you come to help us?"

"Guess so," Skulduggery shrugged.

Ghastly Bespoke, scarred and wearing long robes, made a face, "Looks like I'll have to postpone my meeting with the punching bag."

Valkyrie grinned, and they all rolled their eyes.

"Right. So, Skulduggery, Valkyrie, just go find Tipstaff, okay?" Erskine Ravel said, looking exhausted.

They left the Sanctuary entrance, heading for the houses there. Valkyrie felt something- _someone_- nudge her mind, but ignored it. She'd take a message and get back to it later.

Skulduggery had made her check the houses in one row while he tackled the next. So far, no positive results. She entered the house in the middle of the row, quietly opening the door and creeping in. The ring on her finger felt cold. She looked down, and saw a Cleaver at her feet, head twisted at an odd angle.

Valkyrie headed up the stairs towards the bedrooms. A voice. Female, definitely. "тихий, мой ангел," Midnight Tsunami's voice floated over in a low purr, "Quiet, my angel."

"What do you want from me?" Tipstaff gasped, and she could hear the pain in his voice.

"Hush, мой ангел."

Valkyrie pressed her face against the keyhole, peering in. Midnight, standing in front of a bed. Tipstaff shackled to the bed, tracking her every move. "Eбена мать!" the Russian woman growled, "Damn it! You're just a pawn, my angel."

"Really?" His expression of quizzical innocence turned into determination as he lashed out with his feet, straining against his bonds. The woman danced back, out of reach, giggling, "Yes, yes, of course. A ploy. Bait." Her form shimmered, she turned into a black cat, leapt onto Tipstaff's chest, and clawed ferociously.

Valkyrie kicked the door open, whipping shadows at the cat. It hissed, turning into Midnight, "Ah, мой маленький ангел. My little angel." Her heart slowed, then sped up, anticipating the next move. She kicked the other woman in the stomach, as Midnight transformed into a huge, black panther, jaws wide open, leaping.

They tumbled to the floor, Valkyrie struggling to keep the snapping jaws away from her. Midnight suddenly leapt back, giving her time to scramble up and splay her hand.

The air rippled and the panther was thrown back, through the window. Glass rained down on the street, and Valkyrie looked down at Midnight, the Adept already bounding away. "Coward..."

"Um... Detective Cain? Could you please release me?"

She turned back to the bed. The Administrator had a bloody mess of a shoulder, but seemed okay. "Sure," Valkyrie bent over him, "What did Midnight want?"

"She wouldn't say," Tipstaff said, as she did her best to free him, "Kept on calling me...What was it? Mon...Whatever. She kept on toying with me, that kind of thing."

Footsteps pounding on the stairs. Two Cleavers burst in, along with a Sanctuary agent. "Where's Skulduggery?" she demanded, unlocking the shackles and helping the Administrator sit up.

"Detective Pleasant is waiting outside," the agent replied.

"Okay." She looked out of the window. It was raining, _again_. Valkyrie Cain felt a wall crumble inside her, crumble to reveal someone waiting for her, knowing what she wanted the most. All she had to do was reach out and she did and she went away.

Darquesse floated out of the window, smirking. Argeddion's barrier was broken, thanks to Midnight Tsunami and Circe Bloodtears. She inhaled, deeply, relishing her freedom. Valkyrie knew she wanted to let her out, so she did. Smart girl. There was no stopping her now.

Sorcerers scurried about on the streets, yet no one noticed her. Except Skulduggery Pleasant. He saw her, saw her and rose up in the air to meet her. "It's not your turn. It's Valkyrie's. Look. That's _her_ face you're wearing, her body. It's _her_. Not you," he said, firmly, "There's no one to fight here. No big, bad, all-powerful sorcerer. Just me."

She could see the multi-coloured shell around him, his consciousness. How it sparkled. "Let her out." She laughed, and dug her fingers into the shell. He stiffened with a gasp, going rigid. Darquesse twisted and turned, playing with the shell, delving deeper and deeper. No. He didn't have the case, the armour. She released the shell, he stumbled, and she sighed, "Lord Vile. Where is he? The armour?"

"Darquesse," Skulduggery said, "Give her back, right now. I'm not going to ask again." Ah, how he amused her so, this skeleton, with all his secrets and the complex maze of his mind. She wouldn't kill him. Yet.

Shadows shot out, wrapped around him, and hurled him down, onto the street. Darquesse fancied she heard his bones crack. She set herself down on the street, standing over him, "Oops. Did _I_ do that?"

And Darquesse went away, causing Valkyrie to blink and shriek, "Skulduggery! Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

He propped himself up by his elbows, "It's okay. It was Darquesse, not you." They went back to the Sanctuary, she half-supporting him, to where Reverie Synecdoche, a Sanctuary doctor, was waiting to patch them up.

Valkyrie sat outside and thought. If Darquesse could break free without any danger around, who knew when she'd destroy the world?


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness. It seeped into her soul. In the city of bones and shes, she stood in the cracked streets, amidst the wreckage.

Here stands Stephanie Edgley, big sister, loving daughter, and mild-mannered teenager...

Here stands Valkyrie Cain, sorcerer, detective and descendant of the Last of the Ancients...

Here stands Darquesse, the one who destroyed the world, the only one who ever mattered...

Blood and gore drenched her. Power throbbed in her veins. Bodies everywhere. Alone at last. Alone, and since there was nothing left to destroy, time to die. To curl up, revert to Valkyrie, and die.

Oh, wait. There was no more reverting, no more sharing. Valkyrie and Stephanie were dead. Darquesse smiled and-

Valkyrie Cain jolted awake, in her bed. It was okay. She still had control, still was who she was. Yet she knew Darquesse called, from the far corners of her mind. The nightmare scared the hell out of her, alright. But that made the power seem all the more addictive. Skulduggery had driven her home, she recalled, no worse for wear. Only minor injuries.

At least Darquesse hadn't splintered his bones, crushed and pounded until they turned to ashes, ashes being blown in the wind. She was thankful for that. Circe Bloodtears and Midnight Tsunami hadn't been in her dreams, too. Perhaps _they_ unlocked Darquesse. But why? They were mercenaries, but who were they working for?

Valkyrie sighed. Tomorrow she'd investigate. After all, she was a detective.

Midnight Tsuanmi watched Circe Bloodtears pace up and down, like a caged tiger. His grey eyes were glassy, like he was in another dimension. In this case, someone's dreams. He snarled suddenly, "Damn that guy! Okay, let's make him pay for that..."

Those glassy eyes reflected sadistic pleasure as the Dream Twister gave a low laugh. She left the living room, out the front door, to be assaulted by yet another damnable storm. She didn't like Dublin. For one, it was always raining.

As soon as this job was done, she'd pack up and flee, head back to Russia. Anywhere familiar. She let her thoughts drift, thinking about her employer, her life, her relationship with Bloodtears.

He was just a dreamy, dark-haired man when they teamed up all those wretched decades ago. She was an aspiring sorcerer and a respected shape-shifter working in the Russian Sanctuary, steadily rising to the top. He'd stopped her one day, "Miss Tsunami, isn't it a fine day for murder?"

And she'd clicked immediately.

It seemed like a bad choice now, a regret. She was still humane, with certain amounts of emotion. He, on the other hand... Midnight had lain awake too many nights, listening to him scream in triumph and laugh as he invaded the dreams of others.

She pulled up the hood of her jacket and walked down the street, oblivious to anything but the steady beating of her own heat.

With Skulduggery's help, she managed to trace the Dream Twister and shape-shifter to a town on the outskirts of Dublin, a seemingly normal suburb. The address didn't exist. Number 18. Valkyrie ground her teeth in frustration, scanning the row of houses in front of her. Number 17, 19. No 18. What the hell was going on?!

She wished she hadn't asked Skulduggery to let her do this alone, since _she_ was Darquesse. Squinting, she tried looking _between_ numbers 17 and 19. Nope, no luck. The streets contained normal people doing normal things. One of them approached her, a guy, a couple of years older than her, "Hey. You looking for something?"

She stopped squinting, examining him. Muscles only athletes had. Dimples when he grinned. "I'm Damien. You?"

"Stephanie."

"So...You new here?"

"Just looking for number 18."

Damien laughed, "Wrong row, sweetheart. Try the one behind this."

"Right. Thanks." She smiled, and continued on her course. He kept pace with her, and she noticed his skateboard. He was doing little flips with the board, grinding on the sidewalk. It kind of annoyed her.  
Trying not to break into a run, Valkyrie sped up a little. Damien increased his speed, "Whoa. Slow down, Stephanie. You in a hurry?"

"Yeah..." she said, reaching number 18. It looked normal enough. He shrugged, "Glad to be of service. Catch you later?"

"Maybe," she allowed, and Damien skated away, leaving her alone. She almost considered calling Skulduggery. No. It was _her_ destiny, _her_ demon, and she'd face it _alone._ If she could, anyways.

She walked up, opened the front door, went in. It was brightly lit, the kind of cosy living room with a roaring fire type. She summoned a flame, and checked the entire house.

Nothing of interest except a photo of a young couple in Midnight's bedroom. One of them was definitely Midnight herself. At last, she reached a door below the stairs. It swung open when she tried the handle. Cautiously, Valkyrie stepped inside.

She went down a set of stone steps, an almost unending flight of steps, reaching a room. It was bare, except for a conference table and a body lying on it. The ring on her finger suddenly became icy cold as she approached the table, letting her flame go out.

Valkyrie poked the body, and when it didn't jump up and try to eat her, turned it face up. It was a woman, mid-sixties, lined and grey. Her expression was one of serenity. A gaping wound on the side of her head oozed out brains and dark, red blood.

She dropped it, disgusted, "What the hell is this...?"

"Hello, Cain," Circe Bloodtears said, as he dropped from the ceiling, "A pleasure to finally meet you in reality."

Without hesitation, she hurled a fireball at him. He didn't manage to avoid, the flames searing him. Howling like a dog, the Dream Twister rushed at her, head down. She splayed her hand, and he flew backwards through the air, hit the opposite wall and crumpled into a heap.

Then he raised his head, glassy-eyed," We'll take this elsewhere..." His mouth twisted into a leer, and Valkyrie dropped to her knees, feeling invisible hands grip her brain, as darkness overcame her.

She woke up in a forest full of trees as tall as skyscrapers, under the night sky. The change in the atmosphere was abrupt. Blood started to fall from the sky, staining the earth beneath her feet. Circe Bloodtears rose up from the shadows, "I don't care if I kill you here, Cain, only that I get paid..."

"Who are you working for?"

"Now that would be telling..."

She hurled shadow knives at him, before he could react, cutting through him. Blood sprayed her. He shrieked, and an invisible force flung her into the air. She hit the ground hard, rolled, and came up, but it was too late to the see the sword plunging into her belly.

It drew upwards, up her torso, up to her neck, made a quick circle, and her head toppled to the ground. Bloodtears laughed, and prepared to go back to reality, when Darqusse woke up.

She had done this before, so it was easy to be put back together again. Okay, that was done. She stood up, swaying slightly, "You really shouldn't have done that..." But the dream faded too fast as the Dream Twister sought to escape, and Darquesse felt herself being stuffed back into the box as Valkyrie woke up.

Bloodtears was beginning to stir, several feet away from her. Footsteps clattered down the stairs, and Midnight Tsunami burst in, screaming, "Выполнить, черт побери!"

Valkyrie got to her feet, "What?"

"RUN, DAMN IT!" the woman shrieked, grabbing her arm and dragging her up the stairs, through the living room, out the front door.

They ran, Valkyrie being dragged along by the Russian sorcerer, towards a Audi TT with tinted windows. Midnight jumped in, as she slid into the passenger seat, and the car roared off.

Time passed. They reached the outskirts of Roarhaven. Valkyrie was confused, "Who _are_ you?"

"I have something to tell you, Valkyrie Cain..."

"Which is?!"

Midnight took a deep breath, "Darquesse is going to take over you're body. Your life. _You."_

* * *

_**If the plot keeps getting twistier, don't blame me :)) It's kind of confusing to me too...**_


	4. Chapter 4

Valkyrie stared at Midnight, "Honestly? Darquesse is going to take over my life?"

"Yes, мой ангел. Too right."

"What the shit…? Why didn't you stop Bloodtears?! And why the shit are you telling _me_ this?!"

"Because Bloodtears influenced me, decades ago, and killed someone close to me while he was at it…" Midnight explained, quietly, "And I'm sick of everything."

"Anything else you wish to tell me?" Valkyrie growled.

The Russian woman sighed, "We were recruited to unleash Darquesse by a man with connections to the American Sanctuary. He'll come any day now, the harness your powers and all that shit."

"His name?" She was too calm, too composed.

"Never told us. I don't know anything about him except how he looks: Tall, viridian eyes, stark blonde. It's an odd little combo, but that's him, Plus he said he'd pay us a hell lot of cash…"

"And Bloodtears accepted?"

Midnight looked her right in the eyes, "Yes. For a chance to invade dreams, he'd do anything."

They sat in silence for a while. Valkyrie opened the door and got out of the Audi, "Thanks for saving my ass back there."

"No problem. I'll meet you in Haggard tomorrow. The park?" Midnight suggested.

"Sure." She began walking into Roarhaven, where she knew the Bentley would be waiting.

"How did it go?" Skulduggery asked her, as they entered the Sanctuary, "Over-all, I mean." She'd already filled him in, so she shrugged, "If you count having the truth revealed in the most shocking manner, okay, I suppose."

"Always optimistic, I see."

"We live in cynical times, Mister Pleasant."

"Yes, we do, Miss Cain"

They were escorted to where the Elders usually met by Tipstaff, who kept on thanking Valkyrie, and stepped into the room. Only one person awaited them, Valkyrie's least favorite Elder. "Madame Mist," Skulduggery greeted, "Where are Ghastly and Erskine?"

"Grand Mage Ravel and Elder Bespoke are doing some research, Detective Pleasant," she informed, letting tiny spiders scuttle up and down her arms. It creeped Valkyrie out. A lot.

"Tell them that we need the file of a man connected to the American Sanctuary. A man with viridian eyes and stark blonde hair."

"I will, Detective."

They left, and as she turned back, she caught a glimpse of a spider slipping right between Madame Mist's lips.

Midnight Tsunami went back to the house, ready to face her fate. As soon as she settled herself on the sofa, Circe Bloodtears slinked into view. A bandage covered his left eye, and it was obvious he was in a very bad temper. "I went into a man's dream, Tsunami. He ripped out my eye. Do you know how it hurts?" he whispered softly, eyes glinting.

"Of course. I say it's rather similar to being jabbed by a needle."

"Very clever," he snarled, and suddenly there was a blade in his hand, "Did you, by any chance, see Valkyrie Cain escape?"

She swallowed, "N-no, мой дорогой, my dear. I just came home. Had a long walk…."

"Lies!" White agony blinded her for a moment, and she had a gash on her forehead. Blood poured into her eyes, down her face. Yet she only felt numb.

"I tell the truth. Please…" She nervously became a black kitten, then a huge Rottweiler, then back to her human form.

_You killed Fray, you killed Fray, you killed Fray, just like it was nothing, nothing, and now you're going to kill me too…. _

She shuddered at the memory of Fray's body on her bed, mutilated beyond recognition, blood everywhere…

_Fray Revenge, now he's dead, so I'm the last obstacle, the last one standing, my angel, my Fray, you were jealous of him, so jealous…_

The grenade in her pocket. She'd forgotten she carried one. All she had to do was pull the pin, and it would all be over. Instead, she walked out. His Ferrari was there, and he stood in the street, smiling, "Miss Tsunami. I have your things ready."

"Huh?" She stumbled into his arms, quite by accident, and he steadied her.

"Come on," he said, and she got into the passenger seat. The bleeding stopped when he got behind the wheel and touched her hand, lightly. She forced herself to smile, "Who are you and where the bloody hell are we going?"

"_We_ are going to Dublin. And _I'm_ Angelous Talon." Again, that dazzling sunburst of a smile.

"Oh…" She fell silent, looking curiously at him.

_I'm going to have to kill you soon, Angelous. Because when you pay us, Bloodtears will think it's not enough, and order me to kill you. He's like that, you see. And even if he doesn't, Valkyrie Cain might come and whip the hide off your sweet ass. If she doesn't, then it'll be me. Because you look too much like Fray Revenge, that's why. See? We are all insane here in Ireland…_

~The Next Morning~

She waited patiently on the park bench. No nightmares had plagued her so far. No new 'Darquesse-attacks' as she found herself dubbing it. Valkyrie desperately needed someone to talk to right now, to make sense of this latest crisis. He phone rang, and she answered, "Hey. Found anything?"

"Yup. This mysterious employer of Midnight's is called Angelous Talon. He's the former American Sanctuary detective," Skulduggery replied, "We informed Grand Mage Renato Bisahalani, but there was no reply."

"Why 'former' Sanctuary detective?"

"Seems he stepped down. Didn't want anything to do with detectives. The file said he lost someone close on one of his cases."

"Spare us the sob story," Valkyrie groaned.

"Don't worry. I will," he said, "Tell me about your meeting with Midnight later, okay? I'll track down Talon." He hung up and she looked around the empty park. Her reflection would be at school right now, or being plagued with questions by her cousins.

A voice, blooming out of the budding thoughts in her head, 'I know you, I know your darkest desires. I know you can let me out so we can be one…'

"Damn you, damn you," she whispered to the voice, "Damn you, Darquesse…"

"Cain?" Midnight Tsunami walked towards her, a bandage on her forehead, looking extremely pale. She sank into the seat besides her, exhaling.

"What happened?"

"You want to know what happened?" she gave a bitter laugh, " Circe cut me. Okay, I can handle that, no problem. Guess what? Angelous Talon picked me up. Took me to Dublin, was a generally sweet jerk."

"Your employer, right? Skulduggery found out he was the former American Sanctuary detective. Someone he loved died so he stepped down…" Valkyrie explained. Midnight abruptly stifled a whimper, and she paused curiously.

"There is only one way to contain Darquesse," the older woman said, slowly, "You force her back in. Make sure she has no opportunity to take over your body, that's one of the methods. The other…"

"What is it?!" she demanded, impatiently.

"I think you have to die," Midnight finished, quietly. Her hands fumbled with the inner pockets of her jacket, and Valkyrie blinked. If she killed herself… Nothing would change, she guessed. Only her family would be living with a better daughter, the _real_ Stephanie Edgley. Skulduggery might mourn… But he'd get a new partner, wouldn't he? One who didn't invite a string of bad events along like his or her new best pals. " Right. Okay, no problem."

"You okay with dying?" Midnight stood, looking surprised, "My God…"

Valkyrie stood, too, "Well… If it's for the greater good… Yes."

"You're a strange girl."

"I know I am. Want to grab a bite? There's a takeaway not far from here," she suggested, suddenly hungry.

"Mm… Okay."

Circe Bloodtears itched to kick his partner's ass, terrorize her dreams, hurt her both physically and mentally. But he couldn't. She was the link to the only source of power he had: The Russian Sanctuary. He sat in his car, watching out of her, in this little place called Haggard.

His employer told him Cain lived there. And if Little Miss Shape-shifter was aiding her… There's be hell to pay. He just wanted two things from this job: To hurt people and to get paid. He _lived_ for those kind of things. He saw them, abruptly jarred from his twisted fantasies, Cain and Midnight, holding takeaways, chatting. Jackpot.

The Dream Twister waited until they passed his heavily tinted car, missing it completely, and entered a house. Cain's house. Double jackpot. As soon as the door shut behind them, he lay back and prepared to do what he did best.

The moment they set their takeaways on the table, Valkyrie knew something was wrong. She felt so tired, so sleepy… "Shit… It's Circe…" Midnight muttered, woozily. Oh dear God, not _again_… She sank to her knees, seeing the older woman stagger, and the scene changed as her head hit the floor.

A house. Exactly like hers, though the world was all in black-and-white. Midnight stood beside her, tense. The house… She could fell it, expanding and contracting with each steady breath she took, saw the walls do it like it was breathing. It was _alive_. Valkyrie sensed the shift in the air, reacting before her mind knew it, leg lashing out behind. Something grunted. She turned and saw Circe Bloodtears, dancing back, wearing a sadistic smile. Midnight transformed into an enormous Rottweiler, launching herself at him. With a gleeful smile, he flicked his hand, and a muzzle appeared, binding her snapping jaws.

Valkyrie splayed her hand, the air rippled, and he was thrown backwards onto to the stairs, crumpling over the banister. She threw a fireball, Technicoloured in, at him, but he was already running upstairs. Midnight turned into a tiger, muzzle bursting into a million pieces as her jaw expanded, and they ran up, hot on Bloodtears' trail.

He entered the room at the end of the corridor, and she knew it was Alice's room, that he was going to hurt her baby sister. No way was she going to let that happen. She ran down the corridor, the shape-shifter by her side, heart pounding. The corridor stretched out, now so far away, yet she kept on running… Running … Running…

The door wasn't getting any closer. Bloodtears' voice boomed out," Oh my! What a darling little angel your sister is, Cain. We'll have soo much fun together!" Alice began to wail, and she clenched her fists.

"Touch my sister and you die!" she yelled, meaning every word. She turned to Midnight, "Hold him off. Please." The tiger cocked its head, looking at her, then the door. It bounded off, claws unsheathed, snarling, and Valkyrie listened for the call.

She was here, somehow. Darquesse. Her power blazed a trail of green to follow. Valkyrie watched the trail make its way to Alice's room, and walked alongside it, hearing Darquesse chatter about things. The door reared up. She could hear snarls, bangs, and- above all- her little sister wailing. Kicking the door open, she saw Bloodtears and the Midnight-tiger wrestle, rolling across the ground.

Alice was in her cot, still crying. Valkyrie splayed a hand, and the Dream Twister shot off the tiger, slamming into a wall. Midnight looked battered and bruised, bleeding from both shoulders, limping. "Let her go,' she demanded, standing above Bloodtears, "Let her dream normal dreams. One-on-one for you and I only."

He chuckled, evilly, "So be it." The tiger whined, fading slowly into nothing. The Dream Twister stood, groaning. She sneaked a glance at Alice, relieved to see her baby sister quiet, watching them with huge eyes. "I lured you into my trap," the man grinned, "Too late to escape."

"Really?" She round-house kicked him, he stumbled, and she threw a flurry of punches at him. The punches seemed to take him to his knees, with a bloody nose, where he stayed, hunched over. Valkyrie prepared to use her shadows to slice him up, and sent forth a volley of shadow-knives.

They cut through Bloodtears, until he reacted in a tiny spasm, and fell into eight neat slices. She waited to fall asleep, escape the dream, but nothing occurred. "Aw, hell." The slices were melting into the carpet. The room was _melting_, dripping like wax, like a Dali painting. Scooping up Alice, she ran for it, following the green trail.

Wax pooling, up to her ankles, yet she ran down the stairs, slipping as the stairs rapidly melted, picking up speed… No, she was slowing down…!? Movements becoming sluggish, she reached for the melting doorknob, turned it and wrenched. Blinding white light. Shining… Blinding…

He woke up in pain, agony, in his car. Blood all over him, definitely his. Damn that Cain. She'd pay alright. Circe Bloodtears managed to get his car into gear and drive, despite the agony. A little outside haggard, he pulled over, opened the door and vomited, until he could only heave dryly. "Hello," his employer said, appearing out of nothing, "Bad day, huh?"

"Get lost."

"Is Cain fully Darquesse?" Angelous Talon enquired, politely.

"Ask her new best pal," he spat, "I'm going to kill Midnight…"

His employer seemed genuinely stunned, "Miss Tsunami? WHY?!"

"No idea…" Bloodtears shrugged, "Give me the cash. I did my job." Talon threw him a briefcase, "Here."

He checked the contents, then threw it onto the backseat, "Thank you." His employer nodded, as he shut the door and drove off. What he didn't mention was how he'd kill Cain, Darquesse or no Darquesse…

Valkyrie jolted awake, and scrambled up, examining Midnight, who was stretched out on the floor, in a pool of her own blood. It was a small pool, but a pool nevertheless. She frantically shook the older woman awake, relieved that she'd escaped the dream. Midnight opened her eyes, blinking, "What happened?!"

"I… Think I killed him," she explained, suddenly hungry. The takeaways still sat on the table, untouched.

"Oh." Midnight struggled to her feet, "I'll clean up, you eat."

"Thanks." She sat down, ready to devour her meal. After that she'd fill Skulduggery in. It was going to be a damn interesting story…

* * *

Hey y'all :) I'm sorry it took so long to churn out this chapter :P Hope you can forgive me :P

PS, this chapter is dedicated to .xx :) Hope you guys like it :)


	5. Chapter 5

Angelous Talon and the man with the golden eyes sat in a crowded café, talking quietly. "I plan to capture Cain, and use her powers for my own cause," the American explained, playing with the rim of his coffee cup, "And get my revenge." The thought fuelled him with determination.

"Revenge? On who?"

"The Skeleton Detective… He… During the war," he paused to sip his latte, "He murdered many people. My wife included."

The man with the golden eyes nodded, "Ah. Her name?"

"Peace Irony. So, I figured that I can use his partner's dual nature against him." Angelous winced, the memory of Peace's severed head hanging from the ceiling of their house, mouth frozen in a silent scream flooding back to him. The other man nodded, and walked off, leaving him alone at the table.

Tonight, he'd abduct Cain. And if Tsunami happened to be there… The shape-shifter would be his by force, if not charm…

Skulduggery wasn't answering his phone, so Valkyrie decided to leave Midnight in her house, taking a cab to his. The Bentley was parked in front of the house, and she took a moment to run her hand over the hood, admiringly before opening the front door. "Skulduggery?" she called, wandering into the living room, "I'm here…"

"I know you are." He appeared from one of the rooms, not wearing his façade, "Yes, Valkyrie?" She told him what had happened. He shrugged when she finished. "I don't think Circe Bloodtears is dead," Skulduggery mused, "If he really is, it's Talon's turn to do the dirty work."

She changed the topic, "True. Nice suit by the way."

His voice softened, "Thanks. Ghastly just patched it up." Without thinking, she held out her arms and wrapped them around him, "What if Talon goes after my parents or Alice?"

"Nope. You won't let them," he murmured, as she breathed in the smell of his suit.

"What if I do…? I mean, if I fail…"

"That's why there's me." She laughed, letting go and stepping back.

"Thanks, Skulduggery."

He spoke as she turned to leave, "You sure you don't need my help?"

"I'm… It's _my_ destiny. Mine, not yours."

She took a cab back to her house, where Midnight waited, sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, watching 'Raiders of The Lost Ark'. "I think Circe isn't dead…" the shape-shifter said, as Valkyrie sat down beside her.

"How do you know?" Valkyrie asked, curiously.

"Gut feeling." Midnight shrugged, tipping a paper bag onto her lap. Opening it, she extracted a sandwich and immediately bit into it, suddenly hungry. The wonderful taste of cheese and bacon sent her taste buds screaming, and she wolfed down her sandwich, wiping her hands on her pants. The older woman shot her an amused glance, and they sat in silence for a while, watching the movie.

The credits began to roll, and Valkyrie stood up. "Where do you think Talon and Bloodtears are?"

"Thinking of going to kick some ass?"

She nodded, and Midnight paused for a couple of minutes, obviously thinking, scanning the possibilities of where the former detective and her former partner were. "There is one place…" she said, slowly.

Midnight remembered all too well the way from Valkyrie's house to the little cabin in the woods. She had spent many a night there, lying on the soft grass with Fray, while Circe sulked at the sight of their love towards one another. She hadn't realized how jealous he was of them until the day he killed Fray.

She'd assumed the shape of a panther, and had whisked the younger woman to the woods, where she'd turned back to her human form. Now they stood in front of the abandoned cabin. Termites had already begun to infest the house, the windows were all boarded up, but the door looked as new as the day when the three of them had first finished building their secret hideaway from whoever would come looking to kill them. Beside her, Valkyrie walked up, cautiously, to the door and touched the intricate carvings. Midnight joined her, "If I remember correctly, I helped carve this one." She indicated the dragon at the top right of the door. "But Fray did the rest."

"Fray…?"

"Fray Revenge. He was my дружок, my boyfriend. Circe killed him because he was jealous of our love." That felt good, getting the words out of her mouth, releasing some of the demons within. Valkyrie nodded, and they stepped into the cabin. It wasn't too dark, so only the corners of the house were still in the shadows. Midnight didn't bother creeping around, she just went straight to the bedroom, the bedroom she shared with Fray. Circe has always slept outside, under the stars. He claimed it helped to focus himself on invading a dream. The bed wasn't there anymore, thank God, or she'd have completely lost it.

Valkyrie wandered off to investigate by herself, leaving the shape-shifter alone in the bedroom. Leaves and cobwebs were everywhere, and the only proof of the room being a bedroom was the wooden bedframe, half-eaten by termites, and the huge brown stain on the ground, where his blood had spilled. Midnight heard the younger woman call her name, and hesitantly backed out of the room, walking into the kitchen. The fridge was open, and Valkyrie was staring, horror-struck, at the rotting assortment of limbs inside. "What the hell is this shit?!" she demanded. The Russian replied, "Fray was a оборотень. You know, a werewolf."

_He always brought back remnants of his meal. Makes me wonder why Circe never cleaned the fridge after he murdered Fray…._

After she'd packed her bags and ran off, unwilling to go back to the cabin, traumatized, and unable to trust Circe. They circled the house a final time, and then went back outside. For a moment, she looked around, for the marker. It wasn't there. The Dream Twister had told her that he'd buried the werewolf, but no… Where was the grave marker he'd told her about, the simple headstone? "You filthy _liar_," she growled to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing." Taking a final look around, she sighed. "Let's go."

Valkyrie Cain didn't think there was anything wrong with Haggard when they reached the park, and Midnight assumed her human skin again. It was a nice night, the park was empty, cool breeze lightly slapping her cheeks. She didn't feel the slight change in the air until she heard the gun go off and the bullet entered her body. For a moment, she felt nothing, toppling forward onto the hard ground. Faintly, she heard Midnight scream, and tried to raise her head, but a shoe came down on her head, pressing her down. Voices… Voices…

"_Come to me, Val…_" Darquesse whispered, holding her arms out to catch her as she fell into oblivion.


	6. A note for you

**I am so sorry for not writing **** Have been busy and out of inspiration, but am slowly trying to get back on track. Oh, yeah, Chapter Five is dedicated to .xx for asking me why I stopped writing. PS, if you want to read some of my original works, click this link ^_^ **

** user/LittleMissDarkness**

**Thank you so much **


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